Famous Cisterns in Istanbul

Gokce Nacar

Jul 01 782 read

Famous Cisterns in Istanbul

One of the few cities in the world that may surprise tourists both above and below ground at first sight is Istanbul. Many tourists in Istanbul are unaware of the treasures hidden deep within the city. Despite all the unsolved secrets of the "Istanbul underground," a whole other existence and history remain to be uncovered. Among the most amazing and beautiful structures that have endured to the current day are underground cisterns.

Istanbul is an attractive city with a history of hosting powerful civilizations. On the other side, one of the most besieged towns in history is Constantinople. In proportion to its splendour, the city therefore confronted a number of serious problems.

Serefiye Cistern

Water was being drawn into Theodosius Cistern from the Galler aqueduct. The 32 marble columns in this subterranean cistern, which measures 45 meters by 25 meters, are each around 9 meters long and are supported by a brick ceiling. The Basilica Cistern, which was finished in 532, is about 100 years older than the Serefiye Cistern, which has an area of 1125 square meters and 32 marble columns that are nine meters tall.

Binbirdirek Cistern

One of Istanbul's largest cisterns, the Byzantine-era Binbirdirek Cistern, is one of the city's oldest structures. According to historical documents, the cistern, which is currently situated to the west of Sultanahmet Square, was built in the 4th century. The cistern, which was built in the Byzantine era to meet the city's water needs, contains 224 total columns, 212 of which are still standing today. During the Ottoman Empire, the Binbirdirek Cistern served as a silk workshop. It is now a museum. It also provides a location for a variety of gatherings and organizations.

Basilica Cistern

One of Istanbul's most regal tourist destinations is the Basilica Cistern, which is located southwest of Hagia Sofia. Because of the underlying marble columns, this substantial underground water reservoir is popularly known as the "Yerebatan Cistern" and was built for Justinianus I, the Byzantium Emperor (527–565). Because a basilica formerly stood where the cistern presently stands, it is also known as the Basilica Cistern. The cistern is a huge building that takes up a rectangular area and is 140 meters long and 70 meters tall. The Cistern has 336 9-meter-high columns and a 52-step stairway that leads to it. The columns are separated by 4.80 m and consist of 12 rows with 28 columns each.

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